Bay Islands English
Bay Islands English | |
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caracol | |
Region | Bay Islands Department (Honduras) |
Early forms | |
Latin (English alphabet) | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | – |
IETF | en-u-sd-hnib |
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English language |
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Bay Islands English is an English variety spoken on the
Phonology
The NURSE vowel varies in quality in Bay Islands English. Roatan speakers usually realize it as either [ï] or [ʌ], as do Utilian speakers (although among them, the balance favors [ï] over [ʌ]). The dialect largely features the fern-fir-fur split. The FUR vowel is predominantly realized as [ʌ] by Roatan speakers. About 3/4 of male Utila speakers also realize it in this way, but about 5/6 of female Utila speakers realize it as either [ɛ̱] or [ï]. (Among them, [ɛ̱] is also the most common pronunciation for the FERN vowel, while [ï] is also the most common pronunciation for the FIR vowel.) Some Utila speakers also realize the FUR vowel as [ɔ], although pronouncing "turtle" as [tɔɹtil] is also common for Roatan speakers. The FERN vowel is the most varied of the three, as it has possible realizations like [ɔ(:)], [ɒ(:)], [ɑ(:)], [ʌ(:)], [ɛ(:)], [ɛ̱(:)], and [i(:)]. Approximately 12/18 Roatan speakers pronounce it as a low back vowel, while this is not the norm for Utilian speakers. Approximately 5/6 Utilian female speakers pronounce the FERN vowel as a front vowel, while only about 3/18 Roatan speakers pronounce it with a front vowel (in their case, it is never pronounced as [i]). Graham (1997) has noted that all speakers make a distinction between the vowel qualities in the words "learn" and "girl", while 26/28 speakers distinguish the vowel in "learn" from those in "third" and "bird". He has also theorized that the fern-fir-fur split in Bay Islands English is likely a result of influence from Scottish English, which also has this phenomenon, and neither RP nor GA having a strong dominant influence on the dialect's historical phonological development.[3]
Bay Islands English is generally rhotic. Most white speakers always pronounce it as /r/. It is often elided in post-vocalic, and especially in unstressed word-final position, among black speakers.[4]
Bay Islands English has poor distinction between the sounds [v] and [w]. The two sounds are often merged with each other (and sometimes, [b], resulting in a four-way whine-wine-vine-bine merger) or substituted in opposing positions. Graham cites the influence of the
Notes
References
- ^ Lewis, M. Paul; Simmons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D. (2013). Ethnologue: Languages of Honduras (PDF). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. p. 10.
- ^ Warantz 1983, p. 71.
- ^ Graham 1997, p. 190-194.
- ^ Graham 2010, p. 102.
- ^ Graham 1997, p. 162.
- ^ Warantz 1983, p. 84.
- ^ Graham 1997, p. 164.
- ^ Graham 1997, p. 162-164.
Bibliography
- Graham, Ross (1997). Bay Islands English: Linguistic Contact and Convergence in the Western Caribbean (PDF) (PhD). University of Florida. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- Graham, Ross (2010). "Honduras/Bay Islands English". In Schreirer, Daniel; Trudgill, Peter; Schneider, Edgar W.; Williams, Jeffrey P. (eds.). The Lesser-Known Varieties of English: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press. pp. 92–135. ISBN 978-1-139-48741-2.
- Warantz, Elissa (1983). "The Bay Islands English of Honduras". In ISBN 3-87276-295-8.